Building a Rubbermaid Hydro Bubbler Unit - Cheap and Effective

Okay gang, here is a quick instructional thread on how to build a home made bubbler. I have seen friends use store bought units that are similar (google for Emilyâ??s Garden). If you wanna see the concept, check out Greg Green's book "The Cannabis Grow Bible" where this idea is discussed as well.

Getting started - first the parts list:

(1) 10-gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck storage bin (Lowes $5.50)
(1) ½ inch I.D. clear vinyl flexible tubing, 12� length (Lowes $0.50)
(1) ½ inch plastic elbow (90 degree) for flexible pipe (hydro store $1.50)
(1) rubber grommet for plastic elbow (hydro store $1.00)
(6) net pots of your choosing â?? I used 6â?� square pots (hydro store $1.50 each)
(1) aquarium air pump, dual output (Walmart $15.00)
(2) aquarium air stones â?? 6â?� length (Walmart $1.60 each)
(1) roll of aquarium tubing â?? 10â?? length (Walmart $2.50)
-------------------------------------------------------
approximate cost ~ $38.20


Tools needed:

Utility knife (or jigsaw if you have one handy)
Drill
¼ � drill bit
¾� drill bit

We'll get going in a minute by building the base of the bubbler.

To give you an idea of what is possible, I just completed a grow using 2 of these 6-pack units that yielded 4 oz of Black Domina in one unit (2 plants), and 3 oz of Blueberry in the other unit (3 plants) using a 400 watt HPS in a 4'x2' closet that was 6.5' tall.

To build the base it is quite simple. Basically you just need to make the water level indicator. Mark the tub with pen or the head of a nail. Drill a hole with the 3/4" bit in the very bottom of the tub where we will insert the grommet and then the 90 degree elbow.

NOTE: double check (measure) your grommet to make sure the drill bit is the right size. Mine is a 3/4" bit but you want to make certain that yours doesn't leak, and sizes vary. If you have to choose a bit that's either a little too small, or a little too big, choose the smaller bit. Seems easy but its also an easy mistake to drill the wrong size hole and find yourself going back to Lowes to spend another 6 bucks to fix a screw up.

Drill the hole as close to the bottom of the tub as possible. It's important so that you can view your nutrient level as it drops. It is also how you will be emptying your nute solution out of this when you do water changes.

After drilling the hole, take the burrs off of the opening with the utility knife. Be gentle and don't enlarge the hole, just clean it up so that the grommet will fit snugly. Now install the grommet by applying a small amount of liquid soap on it and inserting in in the hole. It might take a few tries as it is a very tight fit, but you want it tight to prevent leaks.

Next install the elbow through the grommet. Again it will fit very tightly so use soap to lube it up prior to installing. Finally measure and cut a length of the clear vinyl tubing, approximately 5 inches long and install it on the elbow fitting.

Now you need to make the top of the bubbler, which means you make a template from your net pot, trace the pattern onto the lid of the Rubbermaid container, and cut the holes using either a utility knife or jigsaw.

First, take your net pot and trace a pattern on a piece of scrap cardboard, then carefully cut it out using a pair of scissors or a utility knife. Once it is cut out place your net pot into the hole in the cardboard and check to make sure it is a good fit. It should fit snug so that it will keep light out of your reservoir.

When you are satisfied with your template, lay out the patterns and trace them on the lid with a Sharpie or permanent marker.

This is where you have to be careful. Ideally you have, or can borrow a jigsaw. It will make it much easier and safer to cut the holes for your net pots. If not then you will need to use a utility knife which can be dangerously sharp and it's easy to slip and hurt yourself.

If you have a jigsaw drill a small pilot hole and insert your saw blade in this hole, then cut out along the the pattern you drew with your Sharpie. For those using a utility knife you will want to have a piece of wood or thick cardboard underneath the lid when cutting it. Slowly insert the blade into the lid along the Sharpie line, and while holding the utility knife at a slight angle slowly move the knife along the pattern. Repeat until all net pot holes are cut out of the top.

Last you will need to drill two 1/4" holes in the top of the lid so that the air lines can be inserted into the reservoir.

Nice DIY tutorial. A little rep for you...

I'm just about to start a new batch as soon as I get a little floor space for the container.
Mine is a lot like yours, but I seemed to have forgotten a spot to check the water level. I'm sure I can add one with little effort.

I just wanted to add to your tutorial here... You might want to consider adding a roll of duct tape to the list, to wrap the box after it is complete. My rubbermaid container let in a little light before I added a solid three layers of duct tape. Now she's pitch black on the inside. Anyways, not sure if you're having that problem, but I thought I'd mention it.

Anyways, good luck using it to grow, and I'll be looking out for a grow log :) Good luck!

Here you will need to take the air stones out of their packages and set them in a container of water to pre-soak for a half hour or so. While the stones are soaking, measure the length of run from your air pump to your bubbler unit by determining where you will locate your air pump. Keep in mind that air tubing is cheap and it is better to have it a bit too long than too short.

Since you bought a dual feed air pump you will need to cut two air lines of approximately the same length. Place the air stones in the bubbler, one on each end of the tub. Take your measurements and cut the tubing, then attach the tubing to the air stones and then to the air pump. Put water in the tub, plug in the air pump and observe the system to make sure you have good bubbling from the air stones.

Little Hint: MORE AIR = BETTER GROWTH.

Hey Comatose, thanks for stopping by and giving input.

I'm lucky that I have pretty dark containers but taping them up will definitely help. When I do I will be using aluminum duct tape rather than traditional cloth duct tape as it blocks light with a single application. I will also add a couple of check valves - one for each air feed line - to keep the system from backflowing into my air pump and causing problems.

I encourage anyone that has ideas or suggestions to post them here so that we can spread the info and learn from each others experiences and mistakes.

MVP :jointsmile:

Hey again. I had tried to find that aluminum duct tape, but gave up and had to go with the old fashioned stuff. I also have the check valves, they were cheap and I figured they would save me a headache if water backed up. The only other thing that is different in my setup is I have 2x12" airstones. I guess all that really means is that I'm spreading out the bubbles a little more, not that I'm pushing more air (I'm pretty sure we're using the same type of pump).

I found aluminum duct tape at Home Depot in the same area where they carry the sheet metal and HVAC air ducts. I used that roll on an automotive project but will pick up another roll soon.

As far as air stones, the more bubbles the better IMO, I bought the largest ones that they had at Walmart.

And another observation for those building a system - its better to go to Lowes or Home Depot and get the black vinyl air line tubing rather than clear vinyl stuff so that you don't end up with algae growth.

In this bubbler set up you'll use a wick in the bottom of the net pot to deliver moisture and nutrients to the newly transplanted cutting or seedling. Prepare the net pot by cutting 2 inch by 8 inch strips from an old cotton tshirt, placing the end of the wick strip in the bottom of the net pot. Add your growing medium (I use Hydroton - expanded clay pellets) on top of the wick, holding the end while you pour in the pellets or medium. Leave enough room a the top of the net pot to place your plant into the pot, on top of the wick, and then add the remaining Hydroton to stabilize and cover the plant's root cube or rockwool.

Place your net pot in the bubbler and repeat until you have added all of your plants that you want into the net pots and bubbler. If you choose to leave some of the net pots empty, I suggest filling them with hydroton or taping them up. You do not want any light entering the reservoir or you will end up with contaminants and algae growth in your nutrient solution. I actually like to leave one or two spots open so that the plants have room to grow, and more importantly, I can remove a net pot to check pH and PPM a couple of times a day.

Well my camera battery has died, so I will continue this in the next day or two when time allows. It's almost complete so this should be enough to get ya going. If you have questions post them to the thread and I'll do my best to answer them for you. It may take me a day or two but I will reply.

Happy Hydro!

MVP :jointsmile:

Not much time to update, but you'll want to start saving for these, or buy them up front if you have the funds:

PPM/EC Meter - the one I use is by the Primo made by Hanna, approx $20 +/- off eBay

PH/Temp Meter - the one here is a Hanna pHep, gives you pH and solution temp - approx $65 +/- off eBay

Environment Monitor - this one has 2 zones, holds the min/max temp, and the min/max humidity for both zones, approx $25 from GCHydro.com

MVP :jointsmile: